MACFARLANE: Gears of War keeps churning out the fun

The excellent combat, slick design and gory fun you expect from a Gears of War title is here, but Judgment comes up a little short when it comes to content and features. (Microsoft Studios / Epic Games)

When Gears of War 3 “wrapped up the series” in 2011, nobody truly believed that Microsoft was actually putting this cash-cow franchise out to pasture.

No sooner had that sentiment left people’s minds when Epic Games announced Gears of War: Judgment, a prequel to the original trilogy. Now, a year later, we have one of the most anticipated games of the year.

This solid, expertly packaged third-person shooter rivals almost any game in its class. But like my experience with God of War: Ascension, Judgment doesn’t step out from the shadow of its nearly flawless predecessor.

Told as a series of flashbacks against a backdrop of a military trial, Judgment lets players relive the actions of Baird and Cole as their mission falls to pieces; each main character is given a fair shake showing the plot from their perspective.

As a narrative device, it works well in setting up the pins for players to knock down. As with all great shooter games, Judgment delivers players from one set piece to another without getting in the way or being absurd.

At first blush, the combat seems familiar to any Gears veteran because it leans heavily on the often-imitated but never quite duplicated duck-and-cover system that has powered this series.

This time, though, the game seems to adapt to your playing style. So, if you snipe from a distance, you can expect mortar rounds to rain on you in short order. Likewise, if you barrel into the fray like a madman, you can expect to be greeted by powerful, defensive enemies.

The gung-ho mentality is still oozing from this game, but underneath there’s a new need to think about what you are doing in combat — always a plus.

Enemies challenge trigger-happy players to deal with foes in different ways, which leads to some moments of satisfaction for a blood-drenched job well done. You will know what I mean when you resist ticking off a Rager with a stray bullet and flick on your chainsaw bayonet instead.

Certain parts of Baird and Cole’s testimony can be Declassified, allowing you to play through these parts with stringent requirements, such as weapon restrictions or much harder enemies.

It is almost like a Game Plus mode built into the first play through, and while not mandatory, these make up some of the best parts and will defy gamers to fully embrace every tactic and weapon.

The main campaign will set you back six to eight hours, depending how savvy you are with a Lancer rifle, more if you stop to smell the burnt roses and seek out all of Judgment’s secrets.

Multiplayer action comprised much of the replay value in Gears of War 3, and in Judgment, it is no different, except for the fact that it is significantly different.

Gone are the cherished Horde and Execution modes (although the latter is apparently being offered up for free at a later date), and in their place are OverRun and Free-for-All modes.

OverRun’s class-based, objective oriented action is loosely based on elements of Horde mode and it is a fair amount of fun, especially when played with four friends on a team.

Free for All is as it sounds: wild everyone-for-themselves death matches that are close to putting your character in a blender.

Domination and Survival round out the modes, but with only four modes thinly spread across eight maps out of the box, Judgment doesn’t seem nearly as robust as an online haven for Gearheads as its predecessor.

The “out of the box” comment is important because Judgment may be the single-biggest microtransactional hog I have reviewed.

You can access more maps and modes, but only if you shell out 1600 Microsoft Points for a VIP pass. The pass also grants you experience point bonuses and skins, but don’t worry, you can also pony up the points and buy those a la carte.

A single, awesome glowing skin for your Hammerburst weapon costs 360 MSP. Five hundred MSP will set you back $7.25, plus tax, and there are many skins and things to buy.

Do a little math and you realize that if you wanted to have all Judgment has to offer, you could easily spend $90 to 100 on downloadable content, not including the $60, plus tax, for the game. That is on Day 1.

All of these microtransactions are optional, but it is unbelievable how monetized the best parts of this game are.

That said, the online action is fun and somewhat addictive, especially when digested with friends on Xbox Live.

Judgment is worthy of praise and time investment, but it does feel a little skimpy on features and content, considering what previous games had in both departments.

Certainly, one of the best Xbox 360 shooter experiences, if not an entirely essential one.